The invention relates to a device for adjusting a rotary position of a ring gear in relation to an axially aligned gearwheel.
In reversing or turning devices in rotary printing machines, it has become known heretofore that the gripper devices of the reversing or turning device which grip the trailing edge of the sheet during the reversing or turning operation have to be adjusted as a function of the operating mode and of the format length to be processed.
For this purpose, a cylinder of the reversing or turning device has a gearwheel which is drive-connected to the preceding printing units of a first gearwheel train. The cylinder wheel carries, axially aligned, a ring gear which is drive-connected to the following printing units by a second gearwheel train. The gearwheel and the ring gear are releasably coupled to one another.
A device of this general type has become known heretofore, for example, from the published European Patent Document EP 0 346 619 A1, which discloses, for forcelocking or nonpositive coupling of the gearwheel and the ring gear, a multi-disk clutch, wherein a number of annular coaxially arranged disks are attached resiliently to the gearwheel and a number of annular coaxially arranged disks cooperating with the first disks are screwed resiliently to the ring gear. In this regard, it is noted that a forcelocking connection is one that connects two elements together by force external to the elements, as opposed to a formlocking connection, which is provided by the shapes of the elements themselves.
In the aforementioned published European Patent Document EP 0 346 619 A1, the fastening points for the disks are disclosed as being exposed to high loads in the case of high transmission forces and, therefore, having to be constructed with very high dimensioning.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an alternative multi-disk clutch, which avoids the disadvantages of heretoforeknown clutches of this general type.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is thus provided, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a device for positively coupling one force transmission element with a further force transmission element, comprising a multi-disk clutch formed of at least four disk rings for adjusting the rotary position of the further transmission element in relation to the one force transmission element, the disk rings being axially displaceably mounted and, for both directions of rotation, having a play-free operative connection with the force transmission elements.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the coupling device includes a gearwheel having a journal extension and, on a seating surface in common with an adjusting gearwheel, has a receptacle for some of the disk rings, and a receptacle for others of the disk rings.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, each of the disk rings has at least one driver.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, some of the drivers of the disk rings are directed radially inwardly, and some of the drivers of the disk rings are directed radially outwardly.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the radially inwardly directed drivers engage in an axially parallel receptacle in the journal extension, and the radially outwardly directed drivers engage in an axially parallel receptacle in a ring gear.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, some of the drivers of some of the disk rings engage in an axially parallel receptacle in the journal extension, and some of the drivers of others of the disk rings engage in the axially parallel receptacle in a ring gear.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, others of the drivers of others of the disk rings engage in the axially parallel receptacle in the journal extension, and others of the drivers of others of the disk rings engage in the axially parallel receptacle in the ring gear.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the drivers directed radially inwardly engage, respectively, in two threaded receptacles in the journal extension, and the drivers directed radially outwardly engage, respectively, in two threaded receptacles in the ring gear.
In accordance with still another feature of the invention, two drivers arranged opposite one another are provided for each of the disk rings, each of the two drivers having a starting slope.
In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, the two drivers engage in two opposite receptacles in the ring gear, and the two drivers engage in two receptacles in the journal extension.
In accordance with still an added feature of the invention, some of the disk rings are arranged so as to be shiftable independently of one another for a clockwise direction of rotation, and some of the disk rings are arranged so as to be shiftable independently of one another for a counterclockwise direction of rotation.
In accordance with still an additional feature of the invention, the coupling device includes an abutment arranged between the disk rings for clockwise rotational force transmission and the disk rings for counterclockwise rotational force transmission, and clamping devices operating independently of one another for shifting the various disk assemblies.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the coupling device includes spring elements disposed in the receptacles for augmenting the bearing contact of the drivers.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the spring elements are selected from the group thereof consisting of compression springs, leaf springs, magnets, plastic material and rubber.
In accordance with a concomitant aspect of the invention, there is provided a reversing device of a sheet-fed rotary printing machine having installed therein a device for positively coupling one force transmission element with a further force transmission element, comprising a multi-disk clutch formed of at least four disk rings for adjusting the rotary position of the further transmission element in relation to the one force transmission element, the disk rings being axially displaceably mounted and, for both directions of rotation, having a play-free operative connection with the force transmission elements.
An advantage of the invention is that, due to the location of installation and type of installation of the multi-disk clutch according to the invention, positive force transmission from gearwheel to disk and from disk to ring gear is possible, even in the case of high torques.
To achieve reliable bearing contact (freedom from play and high torsional rigidity) of the elements involved in force transmission, provision is made for arranging axially displaceable disk rings on a journal extension of the gearwheel. These can have a great thickness, and therefore high torsional rigidity, as compared with the conventional flexible disks. Each disk ring has at least one driver which, respectively, engages in a receptacle formed, for example, as a groove. For the play-free transmission of a torque, two different disk rings are necessary for each direction of rotation, more precisely, a first disk ring with an external driver for engaging in the ring gear, and a second disk ring with an internal driver for engaging in the gearwheel or journal extension.
In a preferred embodiment, a number of, for example four disk rings, are arranged as an assembly for torque transmission clockwise and a number of, for example four disk rings, are arranged as a further assembly for torque transmission counterclockwise, the drivers of the disk assemblies, respectively, having to be brought into bearing contact with respective receptacles. At the same time, for the elimination of play, provision is made for arranging in the receptacles elastic spring elements which ensure that the drivers or entrainers are in constant bearing contact on the working side of the receptacle. Mechanical springs, magnets, plastic materials or rubber, and the like are preferably proposed for this purpose. In the preferred exemplary embodiment, each disk ring has three drivers which are arranged at an angle of 120xc2x0 to one another, respectively, and engage with assembly play in the receptacles, in order, in addition to the transmission of a torque, to prevent a displacement of the ring gear due to the tooth forces.
In a further exemplary embodiment, provision is made for ensuring good reliable bearing contact, as free of play as possible, of the drivers in the receptacles by at least two receiving grooves being arranged with slight rifling, i.e., with a slight curvature in the journal receptacle or with opposite curvatures in the ring gear. This measure ensures that, during the closing of the clutch, the drivers provided for torque transmission are brought into bearing contact with the receptacles.
If, in a further development, the radial play is additionally to be forced out during the closing of the clutch made up of the elements transmitting rotational force, provision is made, in order to absorb the displacement forces on the ring gear, for respectively providing two receptacles per ring gear or per journal extension preferably opposite one another and for providing both the drivers and the receptacles with a radially arranged starting or run-on slope.
In the preferred exemplary embodiment, each disk ring has three drivers which are arranged at an angle of 120xc2x0 to one another, respectively, and which engage with assembly play in the receptacles.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a multi-disk clutch, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: